Friends have been asking me to write about my life in Italy and I just realized that my last blog post was March, 2019! Not much has happened between now and then…except a worldwide pandemic and a few other odds and ends. So, here’s 2 years’ worth of pictures to try to tell those thousand words
2019
March/April 2019 my son, Nick’s, Italian cittadinanza was recognized and he received his EU passport.
June, 2019 My oldest friend, Marianne, came for a visit.
October, 2019 My close friend, Maureen, spent 10 days with us. Among other adventures, we hopped a train to Arezzo for the once-a-month antiques market.
The monthly antiques market in Arezzo.
November, 2019. American Thanksgiving (Ringraziamento in Italian) with our Italian friends and neighbors. Conversation was lively and the evening included a few beautifully sung arias!
December 2019 Our cari amici, Ross and Tracy, traversed Florence and the surrounding area for 5 weeks from their base across the river from us. They joined us for dinners, lunches, market exploration - and Christmas! Here we are at Mercato Sant’Ambrogio.
2020…The Virus became a Pandemic
January 2020 For Christmas (and my January birthday) I was given a gift certificate to the Four Seasons Florence spa - it’s 2 blocks from us and the hotel boasts the largest private garden in the city. It’s beyond, as our former neighbor used to say. This room is for “recovering” from all of the pampering. Just stunningly beautiful! The hotel was closed most of 2020…like just about everything else.
Suddenly, in March, 2020 we were in lockdown. Even our park across the street was closed!
March 2020 Since we were all confined to our homes, social media was our lifeline to the outside world - and each other - and a way to keep our spirits up. This post from The Florentine, our local English-language newspaper, informed us of a plan to support our healthcare workers. Some of our neighbors blasted opera from their windows.
The Beach
An hour of bliss in early spring, soaking up the rays!
The Pandemic saw the creation of zillions of memes, all over the world, some humorous and some poignant. This one is particularly Florentine, and speaks to the complete lack of tourism - a whole sector of the economy vanished nearly overnight.
Pasqua (Easter) 2020. We could still shop at the food stores, after braving long lines - so we could still cook! For Easter I made Judy Witts Francini’s Torta Pasqualina (Easter Torta). It is simply delicious!!
Finally, on June 3rd, we were able to dine on the patio at Drogheria, our favorite burger & salad joint that’s also a beautiful space. The sun was shining, it was warm, everyone (and it was PACKED!) was happy!
In August, 2020 as the virus slowed and our restricted travel eased, we packed up our dog, Samantha Rose, and decamped to Viareggio for 2 weeks. Sun, sand, lunches/dinners on the beach! It was hotter than we expected, we still had to wear masks at all times EXCEPT on the beach or dining, but it felt so good to leave the confines of our neighborhood and venture out!
August 2020 While in Viareggio, we took a half hour train ride to Pietrasanta. Charming, adorable city with art galore!
November 2020. In the fall, Italy announced new virus-related restrictions: restaurants and bars closed at 6pm. So, dining out was allowed only for pranzo (lunch). By November 22nd, Tuscany became Zona Rossa: lockdown. I cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for 3, no guests allowed.
But the giant Christmas tree was installed in front of The Duomo, as usual! It was a quiet Christmas. Lots of online shopping.
March 2021 We wait for the vaccine
January 2021 Having a dog means one can walk them for exercise, regardless of lockdown degree. And, one can play hide and seek with the Duomo around random corners!
February 2021 At the Mercato Sant’Ambrogio, signs of spring are abundant!
Late February, 2021 - The last Sunday of the month, the outdoor stalls at Mercato Sant’Ambrogio become an antiques market. I love this painting!
More of the late February antiques market at Mercato Sant’Ambrogio.
Early March 2021 I snapped this photo last week. The most photographed tree in Florence at this time of year, for good reason! It’s adjacent to the Porta Croce, one of the old gates surrounding the city. Spring is here!
